A Rose Among the Bulrushes
by the-kings-tail-fin
Summary: Louise Nash wins a race over the Fabulous Hudson Hornet. Celebrations are in order!


Louise had just won her 4th race since forcing her way onto the racing scene. As an overnight celebrity and idol for many young aspiring women, it was customary for her to spend time after each race signing autographs for her fans and taking pictures with them. While her initial passion was racing, she'd become quite fond of seeing the admiration in her fans' eyes as they looked up to her.

The day was coming to a close and the track lights were slowly coming on, one by one. Soon the entire Thomasville Speedway was shining in the artificial light, the racers' paint gleaming with it as they milled around.

Louise wasn't growing the least bit tired as the night waxed on. The newspaper reporters were constantly coming up to her, relentlessly asking questions, wanting to know more and more about her. About the time she realized she was never going to get away from them, she saw a flicker of dark blue in her peripheral vision.

"Hey, Lou." the Hornet called to her. "Come over here and talk to us for a minute, would you?"

Louise quickly dismissed herself and spun around to go meet him. Hudson was the best racer anyone had seen in a long time, and beating him felt almost surreal. He waited for her with a slight smile, which she returned with a beaming grin. She wasn't about to tell him this, but she'd always found him pleasing to look at. The fact that he was as good as he was at racing just reinforced her admiration, despite the cocky "fabulous" getup.

"Good race today, Lou." he complimented her, taking her over to where a few of the other racers were waiting.

"Thanks!" she replied. It was the first time he'd ever spoken to her directly, and she wasn't quite sure how to react.

"Well if it ain't Miss Nash." Junior winked at her. "Stormin' past us all again, eh?"

"Oh, now." Louise still hadn't found a proper way to accept compliments, especially from a group of men.

"Come on! Let's go celebrate." another racer came up beside her and guided her towards the exit. "It ain't everyday someone takes Hud's victory from him."

Everyone else laughed at the jab. Louise just smiled and went along with them. Hud chuckled once and let it roll off of him. The friendly banter was part of the racing culture he appreciated. These were all good folks that meant no real harm.

At the bar in town, they ordered a round of drinks in Louise's honor.

"A toast to the lady of the night!" one of them said.

"Here, here!" all the racers at the table echoed, followed by some whistling and hollering.

"Thanks, guys." Louise said with gratitude, looking at everyone around her. "It wouldn't be the same without y'all."

She was so happy, not just because she'd won the race, but because these guys had accepted her as one of their own without giving it a second thought. With the way the race officials had treated her at the start, she never really expected to have many real friends in the sport. Yet here she was, celebrating with a dozen of them.

"That was some move you pulled, passing the leaders on the outside like that." Hudson squeezed into an open spot beside her.

Louise looked over at him in surprise. Their eyes met and she faltered for a moment.

"Oh, it was nothin'." she looked down and away from him. "I just saw an opening and I took it."

"I've seen a lot of folks try that and spin out." he continued. "I'm impressed you kept it together."

 _He's impressed? Okay, Lou, don't take this and make it somethin' it ain't._ she had to coach herself. "I guess the track was workin' in my favor today. It just felt right, you know?"

Hudson smiled and nodded. He understood completely. "Sometimes taking action and just doing what feels right is a lot better than overthinkin' it."

 _Oh, indeed._ she caught herself taking his words out of context. "Comin' from you, those are some words I'll make sure and remember."

He didn't let the compliment faze him. He just smiled at her once more, backed up, and drove to the other side of the table to talk with other friends. She watched him go and felt a sense of contentment. If he was complimenting her and accepting her into the crowd, then she knew she was where she belonged. The eye candy was just a bonus.


End file.
